About this season
Less than 55 years ago, Dubai International Airport was a vast desert of sand. Today, it is a modern mecca of international air travel. With a staggering 344,000 flights, 57 million passengers and 2 million tons of cargo flying in and out each year, it is the worlds third busiest airport for international passengers. In Ultimate Airport Dubai, step behind-the-scenes of Dubai Internationals three massive terminals, including Terminal 3 the largest building on earth by floor space, measuring 359 football pitches in size! With unprecedented access to all facets of this mega facility, the series follows some of the 60,000 staff working hard to keep it safe, secure, and on schedule.
Episodes (10)
1. Snakes
Aired 29 October 2014 • 45 min
Workers in the signal tower hear news that an A380 with a faulty engine will be making an emergency landing on one of the runways, while a passenger travelling to Kuwait is found to have a suitcase full of snakes
2. Firefighters
Aired 29 October 2014 • 45 min
Firefighters rush to the aid of a Boeing 777 full of passengers, while a man loses his son in the airport terminal
3. Customs Officers
Aired 5 November 2014 • 45 min
Customs officers uncover what could be their biggest drugs haul in 10 years, and an engineer races against the clock when a fault is found on a plane two hours before take-off
4. Crystal Meth
Aired 12 November 2014 • 45 min
Staff members come under increased stress when an emergency landing threatens to shut down the airport. At customs, officers uncover a significant amount of crystal meth
5. Faulty Planes
Aired 19 November 2014 • 45 min
Faulty planes, awkward cargo and missing passengers cause havoc for staff working the night shift at Dubai International, when up to 34 planes can land every hour
6. Airport Emergency
Aired 26 November 2014 • 45 min
A fault on an incoming plane threatens to close the airport. Meanwhile, another technical hitch threatens to make Cat Stevens miss his induction into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame
7. A380 Maintenance
Aired 3 December 2014 • 45 min
Staff confront a passenger travelling on a fake passport. Meanwhile, six years after its purchase, the first Emirates Airlines Airbus receives a thorough maintenance check.
8. Cocaine Customs
Aired 10 December 2014 • 45 min
Customs officers discover $135,000 worth of cocaine hidden among a passenger's shirts, while things go wrong when staff test out a spare parking space for a plane.
9. Racehorses
Aired 17 December 2014 • 45 min
Customs are suspicious of a man carrying uncut diamonds in his luggage and a cargo of racehorses from France poses a logistical challenge.
10. Aircraft Makeover
Aired 24 December 2014 • 45 min
A passenger jet comes into the Aircraft Appearance Centre to get a makeover. The airport’s double runway overhaul is unveiled.